The Power of Our Gratitude

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MY daily reflection and prayer:
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear my friends,
Here is the Gospel for us today according to St. Luke 17: 11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

***

THE Gospel today tells us about the poor lepers who put their hope in Jesus Christ. Standing at a distance from Christ, they acknowledge their own helplessness and beg for mercy. Jesus Christ hears their prayer. They receive what they ask. Jesus Christ heals them. But, only one returns to give thanks to him.

Let’s realize that we are spiritual lepers begging God’s mercy through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the face of God’s mercy. We must learn from one returns to give thanks to Jesus Christ. We are called to be grateful people.

The one leper who came back to thank Jesus is praised for his gratitude. From the Gospel today we can learn how to give God our thanks and gratitude. It means that we have to change our life from merely being receiver to giver.

Why is our thanksgiving so important to God? First of all, he asks our thanksgiving. Second, everything we have is a gift from God: creation, life, talents, opportunities, and hope in heaven. Third, gratitude opens us up to God and neighbor.

Sense of gratitude is so important in our life. It builds bridges, unites communities, and softens hearts. It’s like one of the most beautiful flowers in the garden of virtue which counteracts depression and releases anxiety. If we are only to accept God’s gift without giving thanks, we would be reduced to mere consumers of grace, incapable of giving anything back. By showing our gratitude we justly return to God what he deserves.

When we give thanks, we are no longer passive recipients. We are not only receivers. We become active givers, giving back to God who has given us what we do not deserve. By giving thanks for what we have received, we are capable of receiving more from God.

We give him thanks for God has saved us. Then we are able to grow in intimacy with God who invites us into a personal relationship. We grow into personal relationship, for example, in the Eucharist. There we are no longer mere passive recipients of his grace, but coworkers of his redemption. To give thanks in Greek is EuXaristia. We are saved, so we are called to be Eucharistic.

In the Perpetual Adoration of Eucharist while adoring Jesus Christ, we learn to live a life of thanksgiving, a Eucharistic life. There we attract many blessings for our own souls, our families, our parish, and for our society.

Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, grant us the gift of gratitude towards you that we can always praise you perpetually. Make us aware of the many gifts you have given us so that we may respond to them and give you what you deserve: our heartfelt thanksgiving. May we be more thankful and thus deepen our communion with you now and forever. Amen.

Kredit foto: Ilustrasi (Ist)

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